Hennessy Street (Warner Bros backlot)

The place

Hennesy Street is a permanent set street in the backlot of Warner Bros Studios in Burbank, California. Built in 1935 under the name "Frisco Street," this horseshoe-shaped street was once called "Tenement Street" before being renamed in the early 1980s in honor of set designer Dale Hennesy, who died during the reworking of the set to which his name is still attached. Its architecture recreates the Lower East Side of New York, featuring brick facades, metal fire escapes, and shopfronts. Still standing and well-maintained, it is among the outdoor sets presented to the public during the Warner Bros Studio Tour. One of its fire escapes also served as the backdrop for the album cover photograph of Prince's Purple Rain.